Shadow Play
by domino.dice
Summary: What if Sakura couldn't change the Light and Dark cards before it was too late? This is a Change in Tapestry fic written for CFFML. How would things turn out if the world slept forever... leaving Sakura was alone with Eriol...?
1. Forever Dark

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Shadow Play  
  
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/Here's an interesting little alternate universe that may or may not exist, but because there are just so many realities, they are infinite after all, it may just be true. It goes like this: What if Sakura couldn't change the Light and Dark cards to finish her test? I would stay true to my word and the world would continue to sleep. Syaoran, who had given all his power to Sakura, would also fall under my spell, and into an endless sleep. Of course, because she failed, Yue and Keroberos would be trapped in her staff. She would be utterly alone, aside from me and my own guardians, of course. I would be free to play.../  
  
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'Oh, no!' Sakura exclaimed as the light that engulfed the cards slowly began to fall, and with it, her hope. She felt someone come behind her and support her, a strange flow of energy charging her.  
  
'Syaoran!'  
  
'I'm giving you my magic,' He said with some effort as he struggled against the powerful spell that was constantly present.  
  
'But you'll fall asleep, too!' Sakura didn't want anything to happen to Syaoran... not after everything that they had been through together.  
  
'You'll break the spell. I believe in you!' With that, Sakura found hope. She put everything she had into changing the Light and Dark cards.  
  
/Believe in yourself, and in the cards./ She thought firmly to herself. /I believe.../  
  
The light began to rise again. It would be okay! It was working and everything would be all right. A realization came to her, and it was that she wasn't getting and more power. Syaoran had slipped to the ground behind her, asleep.  
  
'No, Syaoran!' She shook her thoughts away from her fallen friend. She had to do this, now.  
  
/I... believe.../  
  
The light abruptly fell, and the cards went dark, drifting gently to the ground before her. 'No! No, come on, change! Please change!' She picked up the cards and thrust them into the air again.  
  
'I call upon the power of my star...'  
  
'It's too late,' Stated a voice from above her.  
  
She chose to ignore it. 'Ancient forces near and far, Clow card, discard your former might, and draw your power from my light!' She tried to change them again, but with no success. The line of light barely started up the cards before it disappeared, and the cards fell to her feet once more.  
  
'No! Why... why won't they change? They have to change, or... or...' Sakura started to shake as the realization struck her. She had failed. Everyone would stay asleep forever, and Kero and Yue were trapped in her staff...  
  
'Shame...' Said the voice from above her, the sorcerer named Eriol Hiiragizawa, and the reincarnation of Clow Reed.  
  
'But... You can't do thi..s...' Sakura sobbed softly. 'Clow Reed... he didn't hurt people... Why would he want something like this to happen if I couldn't change them? Can't it just be like the Final Judgment and just have everyone forget? That would be better, and no one, really, would get hurt!'  
  
'That may be so,' Eriol said with a smile, a shadow hiding his eyes. 'But /Clow/ sticks to his promises. Besides, if I just made everyone forget, the cards would be useless. Their powers would fade, after all, they would have to be cut off from you. They would die.'  
  
'Can't you change them? They would be Clow cards again, wouldn't they? Can't you... can't you give me another chance? An extension? A hint?'  
  
Eriol thought a moment, but it was exaggerated, as though he had already thought of the answers before she had ever asked them. He mocked her, which only served to crush her moral further. 'I could change the cards myself...' He said slowly at last. 'But they wouldn't exactly be Clow cards. Let me show you. Seeing as you can't change Light and Dark, I'll do the honours.'  
  
With a slight notion of his staff, the Light and Dark cards rose into the air, and floated to him, the backs of the cards facing Sakura. He touched the cards, each in turn, and the air around them shimmered like water then faded.  
  
'Have a look for yourself.' The card pair drifted back to Sakura, and landed gently in her hand. The colours were strange, and as she turned the cards over the Clow symbol on the back was upside-down and flipped left-to- right, still with the strange colours. Sakura noticed that they were like picture negatives. In fact, they looked exactly like picture negatives of the originals.  
  
'Inverted Clow cards.' Eriol said in a low voice. 'And as for your other questions...'  
  
Sakura looked up at Eriol, hope in her eyes. She felt the cards lift out of her hands and fly back up to Eriol.  
  
'No. To all of them.'  
  
'What?! Why?!' It took everything in her to keep from crying.  
  
'Because. If I gave you another chance, it would defy the point of the whole thing. An extensions absolutely out of the question. This was a test. You are only allowed a certain amount of time. As for hints? Impossible because you already know everything that you would need to, to break my spell. Your original, and I'll have you know that it is the only, solution to this didn't work the first time, therefore it never will.' Eriol spoke very matter-of-factly, Ruby Moon and Spinel Sun standing protectively behind him, as though Sakura would some how lash out at Eriol in attempt to change his mind by force.  
  
Eriol continued, oblivious to whatever danger his guardians believed him to be in. 'At this point it's all too late. You've used up too much of your magic to be able to try again anytime soon, and you won't be able to recover enough magic before sunrise.'  
  
'Do you want the world to sleep forever?' Sakura asked quietly. 'And what about Kero and Yue? They were once your guardians! Do you even care at all? Everyone... everyone is sleeping, and we're all alone, and you don't care at all?' Sakura cried.  
  
'It's quieter...' Eriol said softly, the smile gone from his face. From what Sakura could see there was something... sadness? He did care, but he seemed to have his mind set. Maybe if she kept playing to this sadness... she could get him to change his mind.  
  
Eriol stepped off of the arch, but he didn't fall. He touched gently down on the ground, his guardians following.  
  
'Ruby, Spinel, could you leave us, please?' His guardians looked reluctant to follow through, but with hesitation, they complied. When they were gone, Eriol walked up to Sakura. 'You must think I'm a horrible person, and you're not entirely wrong, but there's consequences. Everything has consequences.' He spoke gently, sympathy clear in his eyes. 'I had great hope for you, I really did. You changed every other card, passed every other test, but everyone has a breaking point. Not one single person in the world can do everything, and I guess we have found your limits.  
  
'But why does the whole world have to suffer for my mistake?'  
  
'What if it was the whole world at stake, and it wasn't a destiny of a never-ending sleep for the world... what if it was death? Such things are possible, once you become involved with the cards. It's happened before, I've been there, but that is a very long, boring story.'  
  
'It's not something else. You made it so that it was the whole world at stake.'  
  
Eriol looked a little shocked, then composed himself. 'You're right. Isn't that what I said? You get involved with the cards, and these things happen. I don't think I shall go back on my word.'  
  
'But... the whole world! Animals, people, everything! It was your spell, you did it, and you can un-do it.'  
  
There was that smile again, that aggravating smile that told her she couldn't touch him. 'Not for the world, love. I could do it. I won't, though.'  
  
'It doesn't have to be like this,' Sakura said, starting to get angry. Why wouldn't he? It was his fault, and he had been extremely contradictory, at least, in Sakura's eyes.  
  
'True, but I made a promise that I intent to keep. If I don't follow through with it, you won't ever learn.'  
  
'No one is that important! No one is important enough, that if they fail one test, then the world is fated to eternal darkness.'  
  
'You are, Sakura. Mistakes do have consequences. If they didn't... well, the world would just be one big mess. Besides,' Eriol leaned in closer to Sakura. 'One on one... you and me... I personally think it's funner this way-'  
  
SLAP  
  
Eriol turned away with the force of her strike, surprise in his eyes.  
  
'This isn't a game!'  
  
There was a long, tense moment of silence after that. She shouldn't have done that, she knew right away. He had come very close to killing her on several occasions, and he was just testing her without vengeance then. The spells he used then were likely some of his gentler ones. It was definitely not a good idea to get on his bad side...  
  
As she feared, anger flared briefly in his eyes, and his expression turned into one of cool calculation. Sakura was definitely very clear on the fact that she was below him with that look. 'That's where you're wrong. This is a game... and it's the hardest one you'll ever play.' He spoke in a voice of pure velvet poison, and swept away, not once looking back.  
  
From everything Sakura knew about Clow, that should not have happened. Maybe something happened to Eriol that didn't to Clow?  
  
Or perhaps Clow was just trying to be patient with her, despite the fact that he was really a spoiled brat. 


	2. Next to the Precipice

Due to popular demand, and great consideration on my part, here's the continuation of Shadow Play. It seems to be getting darker... hmm... I hope this isn't too disappointing. It's a little short, but with encouragement, I'll write more. I've been feeling crummy lately, because I think I'm a fairly good story writer, but I have so few reviews to show for it. This story has the most reviews out of all of them. Whatever.  
  
2--Next to the Precipice  
  
*That wasn't me.*  
  
What had just happened was the hardest thing Eriol had ever had to do, likely in his entire life, and in his 'last' one. If only he didn't have to be the reincarnation of Clow.  
  
The sun had risen, and nothing at all stirred. Birds slept in their nests, sitting on their eggs that would never hatch. The occasional person was lying in the street, and they, too, would sleep until they starved, and died. A terrible scene that would only get worse.  
  
Eriol stood at the top of a concrete wall that overlooked the harbor, harsh grays and sharp edges falling sharply to meet the near-freezing surface of the sea. But that wasn't what he saw. He had imagined his end somewhat differently; cool grass beneath his feet rolling down until the slope was too steep to support living things in the soil, rich, dark earth contacting the deep blue ocean a thousand feet below, waves throwing themselves against it, gradually eroding the world away.  
  
That was how he pictured it, but this would do.  
  
He could do nothing to stop the world's slumber, now, especially now, without tapping into the magic within him that was Clow's, and doing that would result in his ideals changing again. He was all one person, no dual personalities or anything, but there was something in him that... clicked, and his mind set on other things. Before that happened, it had to be stopped. He didn't want anything more terrible to happen. No more click, no more Clow.  
  
Even though he pictured the scene differently, he followed though on what else he had pictured. He closed his eyes, and saw his perfect view, turning his face towards the sun. Arms loose at his side, he stepped slowly forward until his toes came just over the edge. In his imagination, he was barefoot, wearing his favorite overcoat and satin pants; his evening wear. Instead, he wore the robes crafted for him by Clow before he died. Eriol would make do. He raised his arms slowly, deliberately, to the sides, welcoming the moment, though it was a sin.  
  
And then he let the wind take him, pulling him forward even more until it was gravity that took him. For a moment, it felt like he was flying...  
  
'MASTER!' Ruby Moon cried as she dove off after him, swooping and catching him mid-air with ease, as was part of her flight training. Though the extra weight was straining on her wings, she managed to carry Eriol back up to the top of the harbor wall. 'Master...'  
  
Faint from the fall, he looked up at her blearily. 'I... I want to be me...'  
  
Ruby was silent for a moment before she answered. 'I know, Eriol... I know.' She didn't know much about the Eriol that was not influenced by Clow's memories very well, but what she did know was that he really didn't want to have Clow's memories at all. He had so few that were his own, after all.  
  
'Put me down, Ruby.' Eriol said calmly.  
  
Ruby complied.  
  
'Sorry about that,' He said, more amused than apologetic. 'I had a moment. Thank you for keeping an eye on me, and I ask that you do so in the future as well.' He smoothed the front of his robes, inhaled deeply, and strode off, hands behind his back.  
  
'See, Spinel, now what did I tell you?'  
  
The panther padded out of the shrubbery to Ruby's left. 'Yes, yes. Rather manic depressive.' Spinel shrugged. 'It's his way.'  
  
'Yeah, well, it's your turn to watch him. He might go snake on Sakura again. I have to enjoy the empty skies. It's nice to be all by myself sometimes..' Ruby leapt into the air and glided out of sight soon after.  
  
Spinel started off in the direction Eriol had gone. 'Master...' He said almost mournfully. 'Why do you do this to yourself?' 


	3. Regrets?

'Er... Master,' Spinel began hesitantly. 'What exactly do you have in mind to do now?'  
  
'Well, Sakura's still around,'  
  
'You'd think she's been punished enough,' Spinel mumbled.  
  
'I do wish you'd speak up more often, but yes, she has. I was thinking of having her over for tea, actually.'  
  
'And you think she's going to accept?'  
  
Eriol smiled enigmaticly. 'Perhaps if I promise to tell her how else she can lift the spell herself.'  
  
Spinel was puzzled. 'But... I thought that the Light card was the only way?'  
  
Eriol chuckled. 'Not exactly. There is one other way... but it is quite complex, and it consumes a lot of power, as well as a certain kind of power... a component of the spell that is only to be used in an emergency. But this isn't an emergency, so, naturally, I won't be telling her. I can say I know, because I do, which will lead her into thinking that I'll tell her, and she'll come.'  
  
'Is this how you got all of your dates before, Master?'  
  
Eriol scoffed. 'She hates me now, because of what I had no choice in. I need human company, Spinel. I can't just have you and Ruby forever. I never did before, there was always someone else.' Eriol sighed. 'I must seem so sadistic.Smiling and having a grand old time while implimenting torment on Sakura. I needed to, to keep her at a distance. It is very hard to explain.'  
  
'Well, do try.' Spinel grumbled. 'You didn't even attempt to tell us your plan while we were putting it into action. We just followed your instruction to the letter, knowing that was the only way to make it work.'  
  
'You're resentful,'.  
  
'You didn't need your perceptiveness to tell me that.'  
  
'Spinel...' Eriol said, and sat on a bench. Spinel noted the weariness in his master's eyes. 'This is something that must be done. Whether Sakura likes it, whether you like it... whether I like it or not, it has to be thi way.'  
  
'Why?'  
  
Eriol sat silent, looking up at the darkened sky. It was a while before he said anything, and Spinel thougth for a moment that Eriol wasn't going to say anything else at all. 'I wanted her to change the cards. they were dying, and I didn't want that to happen. I suppose I could have taken them on myself... but really, what good would have come from that? I know you'd be able to think up a thousand arguments, but no doubt, I'd be able to counter them all.'  
  
'What of your fickle attitude towards her?'  
  
'At first, it had to be so that she suspected nothing, otherwise she wouldn't put her all into changing the cards, and as such, they wouldn't change at all. During the test, she had to see me as an antagonist, again, because otherwise she wouldn't be able to put her whole self into the cards. I suppose my ploy wasn't enough, and when it comes to the cards, someone more than worthy needs to be found, or disaster will ultimately and inevitably befall the world. Their power is something few people can weild. They had to be kept under utter control, and if not, then the world had to be kept from their power. This is the best way to do that.'  
  
'Is that so?' Spinel asked with some degree of scrutiny.  
  
'Trust me. I know the cards, and this is the only way to keep their power from the world.'  
  
'What about the Book? They couldn't be sealed in there again? Perhaps to wai for another worthy cardcaptor?'  
  
'They are only partly changed. The entire deck has to be the same, or no one else, other than the power of their creator, can use them, or change them in any way. There is no possibility, now, of Sakura changing the Light and Dark into Sakura cards.'  
  
'I see.'  
  
Eriol was quite silent after that again, staring off at the distant horison.  
  
'No one will ever be able to understand you, Master.'  
  
Eriol only shook his head, and Spinel sighed, and strode off, not wanting to be in the presence of his master any longer, but knowing that he shouldn't stray too far. 


	4. Shadows

Yeah yeah yeah. It's another short chapter. I'm not inspired with this fic right now, indeed, I'm having the writers block from heck. This should do ya for now, though. I have a really horrible chapter comming up that I can write, however... /rubs hands together delightedly/ Lovely angsty.

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Sakura sat with her knees pulled up to her chest. She couldn't look at the world the way it was..... she couldn't bear to see anyone at all let alone some one she knew asleep..... like that..... forever. She found a place where she could sit, a place where no one would have been, and she didn't have to see any of the people of the world adrift in slumber.  
  
The Tsukimine shrine by the pond. There was no moon reflected in the water anymore, and there never would be again. The horrible weight of guilt bore down on her oppressively, and it seemed too much to bear. She did fail, and it all came true..... maybe she didn't truly believe Eriol when he had told her that this would happen, she hadn't tried hard enough, but there was still part of her that thought it couldn't be like this forever..... it couldn't possibly.....  
  
Her glorious new staff leaned against a tree not that far away. It was beautiful..... but it only served to remind her that she had failed her guardians too. They were trapped in there, and they had believed she could do it..... she certainly proved them wrong.  
  
No more tears came. She had cried herself out. It was all still very strange, and though some small part of her had resigned and fallen away..... most of her still believed that it would surely be alright. Those words had also failed her- it was her invincible spell that proved to be not quite so invincible. The one time it mattered the most and she didn't get it right, and now.....  
  
She felt someone approach her from behind and she turned to look. She knew it could only be one person.....  
  
'Sakura.' He said to her with that same enigmatic smile he always had. 'Why don't we keep each other company?'  
  
'Was..... was that part of your plan?' Sakura said weakly. 'We really are the last two people on the face of the planet..... but that's because of you. It's very sad if you think that you can make me-'  
  
'No,' Eriol corrected quickly. 'I've known since I set out with this mission that, should you fail, the only feelings you'd have for me would be dark ones.' He looked over the black water. It was so strangely dark..... but then, it had nothing in the sky to reflect.  
  
'I have a question.' He said after a pause. 'Do you really think that this is the way I want the world?' He spoke in a detached sort of matter, not letting any of his own emotion into his voice.  
  
Sakura hesitated. What could she say? She had discovered how little she really knew him- the Eriol that transferred to her school, the Eriol that gave her flowers, the Eriol that helped her make her bear for Yukito..... was not this Eriol. This Eriol was fickle and careless..... selfish. Was he the whole time pretending? Or was there really some part of him that was like that?  
  
'I don't understand you Eriol.' She managed to say. 'How could you be nice to me like that for so long... knowing you'd have to do this?'  
  
'That's why I was.' He replied. He turned away from her, not letting her see his face. 'I wanted to be kind... to try and make up for my actions before making them.' His head lowered into his hand. 'I don't like being this way.....'  
  
Sakura looked at him a little strangely. Was this an act too? His demeanor changed rather suddenly.....  
  
'It wasn't my choice..... being a reincarnation, I mean. And if I did have a choice, it certainly wouldn't have been of him..... _he's_ the only reason I do these things. I feel like.....' He started to wander slowly towards the pond. 'It's like I'm two people. You don't have to understand. It is all my doing, either way. It's..... very frustrating. I partly don't want to have done this, but part of me.....'  
  
He stopped. Sakura still looked at him. Maybe there was still something there. Or, from the sounds of it, it was there the whole time, just..... suppressed? Some part untouched by being a reincarnation of the great sorcerer Clow Reed.  
  
Eriol's manner changed again quite suddenly. He chuckled. 'Sometimes I say funny things, don't I? I speak before I think at times, don't mind what I've said. Well, it's your choice in the end. You can sit here all by yourself and fall deeper into the silence here, or you can come with me. I think that some company would be better than none. And if you don't want to now, my offer will still hold for the future.'  
  
He waited, looking at her. She didn't look at him, but she knew he had that smile again.  
  
She shook her head wordlessly, and Eriol simply strode off into the dark, having gotten his answer.  
  
Sakura lowered her head to her knees, and as she did, the blank quiet sky opened up and cried for her. It was gradual, small droplets spattering on the pavement and leaves, not enough to trouble anything, just enough to let Sakura know that there were still some things that had not changed forever. It was reassuring but in a deeply saddening way.  
  
She stood, alone in the rain, and started home. 


	5. Lines

GRRRYAAHH… Writing this story's hard. I want to keep writing, because this one's sure bringing in the reviews. But the first chapter was all there was supposed to be. Sigh. You can tell because it's twice as long as any one of the other chapters. Though I managed to make this one longer. o-o

ooo

'It was your turn to watch him, Suppi. I guess it's kind of pointless to try, huh? He always escapes on us, never tells us what he's doing-'

'How motherly of you. He can take care of himself well enough.'

Nakuru made a face. 'Manic depression is all well and good, but not when he tries to jump into the harbor. I draw the line at harbor-jumping. If he dies, we're as good as gone, too. I know he's upset, I'm kind of upset too. All the sleeping people will start dying in a couple days because they're sleeping too much to take care of themselves, and there's no one but us to clean it all up. Us, Suppi, us!'

Spinner Sun shook his head. 'You're upset for all the wrong reasons.'

'Well why are you upset then?' She said, sounding affronted.

'It's beyond you, I think. If those are your reasons for being distraught, then you go ahead and worry about that. I'll worry my worries.' Nakuru sniffed his way, going off to do whatever it was she did with her spare time, Spinner didn't always know.

He wondered if Eriol meant them to be the way they were; Nakuru seemed to be the guardian that would appeal to a certain side of Eriol, while Spinner himself more suited the thoughts separate from the reincarnation-cursed ones.

He mused on this as he left in search of Eriol yet again.

This parody of hide and seek was one Spinner found himself playing more than he would have liked, and more frequently as time went by. He wasn't sure exactly what it meant, but it was significant how Eriol vanished without reason, and cause for alarm under certain circumstances. Especially if the circumstances were 'only one other person on the planet'.

Sensing something in the vicinity of Tsukimine, he headed that way. People lay in the street, sleeping soundly, looking peaceful… but it was anything but peace that Spinner felt. This was terribly unnatural, and unnecessary. The girl had needed a second chance at the Final Judgment, so it was plain and clear that she'd need one for this test as well. Perhaps Clow had been wrong to give her a second chance in the first place. If she failed the first time around, she should have been seen as unfit, or poorly taught, and should have either been re-schooled in her arts before getting another chance, or have the privilege removed altogether.

That would have been more sensible, and would have saved her and the world from the powers of a whimsical sorcerer.

There.

Spinner came quietly up to Eriol, who was sitting on his knees on the ground, in front of a young woman and her two infant children.

'I can't un-do it…' He said without turning to face him. 'Why did I have to be so flawless in casting this spell…? Ruthlessness is a terrible force… In moments like these, I can understand that, but at other times it's as though it's beyond me to comprehend that it can do this. They're so young…'

Spinner was at a loss. Eriol's bi-polar persona let him realize his own terrible actions, but didn't allow him the ability to prevent them. It was impossible for him to chide Eriol when he was like this, because he already felt remorse; it was useless to chide him otherwise, because he simply ignored him.

'It's only been a few hours, but I imagine they're hungry. It will be peaceful… they won't feel it.'

During the transition between the two, however, it was possible to have some small bit of influence. It was usually too subtle to detect, but Spinner knew his master better than even Nakuru. It would be tricky to combine the needs of both sides of Eriol, to appeal to both at once. He would have to empower the part of him that doubted, and tempt the part that calculated. 'You do have the power to reverse it. You cast it, after all. It's simply a challenge.'

Eriol looked up, away from the mother and her children. A challenge…? Challenges could be overcome, of course. But did he really have the power to do so…? Of course he did. 'Yes, I cast it, so of course I could reverse it. If I so desired. Although, since I know it's possible, why try?'

Spinner sagged slightly, defeated. The wrong words… always the wrong words.

Eriol stood and brushed off his clothing. 'The world's no fun unless there's someone in it to play. Fortunately for me, there is. She's not quite as willing as maybe she should be-'

He paused. 'No, she doesn't have to be willing. This is a difficult situation, but maybe she can get used to this… games are too much right now.'

He was swinging between his opposites so frequently and fluently, they seemed almost the same persona, as though it were rational, normal. It was far from normal, it was worsening, Spinner knew. The unusual environment aggravated both sides of him in no positive way, and the worst was probably yet to come. Minds were fragile, soon one side would win, or he'd loose himself completely, and both sides would be overtaken by something else entirely. Reincarnations were simply a bad idea, and though Spinner wondered why Clow's guardians didn't try to stop him, at the same time he realized they didn't even know, not that they would have been able to do anything if they had.

'Would you come home, Master? Maybe get a little…' Spinner stopped himself before he said something that would be obviously inappropriate.

'Sleep?' Eriol said, completely undaunted. 'Too restless for sleep. All other minds are at rest, my mind cannot be at rest. There's too much energy going unused in the air, I can't let it go to waste. Dreams might be unpleasant, as well. Especially with everyone else submerged in that realm. I can't sleep with everyone like this.'

Spinner nodded. 'Then at least let me accompany you.'

'Yes… some quality time is in order, now that there's nothing to detract me. What should we do? I'm sure the ice cream's free.'

'I'm sure…' Spinner trailed after Eriol as he started off down the street towards the nearest parlor. He questioned how long it would take for the less concerned thoughts of Eriol's to turn to the fact that, without people to tend to things, he's made things much harder on himself, no matter what he thought.

'It's all melted… what happened to the power? Ah, all those people asleep at their stations… things could easily go wrong. A little magic makes things better, ei, Spinner?'

'I suppose…'

Eriol leaned more into the freezer containing the ice cream, and Spinner could feel him setting charms for cold inside them. 'It's all we have to depend on, now.'

Of course… in spite of all the problems he's caused, he can magic away his smaller, personal ones.

'There's someone else awake, I think. Other than you two, Sakura and myself.' Eriol said in a conversational tone.

Spinner's mind was almost shocked into reeling. 'What makes you say that? You said your spell was flawless.'

'Even flawless spells can be defended with enough abjuration.'

'The school of protective magic? Yes, but they'd have to have known that you were going to cast this spell…'

Eriol nodded, pulling out of the freezer after finishing his charms. 'And well in advance, at that. They read my mind… or dreamwatched, or somesuch. Either way… I've just felt someone else wandering outside the bounds of my spell.'

One thought went through Spinner's mind at that moment:

_There might still be some hope, then._

'I wonder what they'll do…' Eriol mused. 'One person won't be able to do much…'

'Yet look what you, one person, have done.'

There was a pause that stretched into a silence, being broken by Eriol after several long moments. 'Yes… see what I've done. That one person may change the fate of the world. Sakura's certainly not up to it right now.' He turned and walked slowly out into the quiet world. 'I think it is about time for bed though…'

Spinner sighed softly to himself. Sleep freed everyone of contradiction, dreams were only for show. Though the world was doomed to sleep to death, there was a flicker of hope, and Eriol himself would leave matters to be tended to at another time.

Spinner had time to contact this other person. He'd need to speak to Nakuru…


	6. In Dreams

I honestly thought this guy's first introduction would be in Trial by Fire with all the other people like him, but he was the 'first of his kind' so to speak; he was the first one of them thought up by anyone for anything period, and by Ryou at that. I'ma borrow him here, but I'm sure you don't mind, Ryou Just who are his 'kind'? That's something you just gotta find out. Nice, long chapter though. I heart certain characters

oOo

'What a mess...' Muttered a young man as he idly fingered his short ginger spikes. His other hand was at his hip as he surveyed the scene through hazel eyes looking unamused. 'But I don't need someone making my job harder than it already is... isn't half the world being asleep enough?' He continued uttering to himself as he wandered down the street, concerned with his issue, and stepping over the individuals cluttering the sidewalk.

Certainly, half was more than enough. If only three people slept every night that'd be plenty, but of course that's never the case. And some sorcerer-guy had to come along and ruin it even more, but there would be retribution. He'd certainly show him for making his job all the harder. It'd mean adding a few more people to the list of sleepers, but with all the people out now, what difference would it really make?

He knew he'd have to make this business quick, he really wasn't allowed to leave his assigned domain, but since this is something that affected him directly, well, he should darn well be there to fix it personally. Which ones would affect him the most though? He knew it'd be best to only choose two of the grand total of four people awake. It would make things interesting, and dramatic... yeah, drama was nice when it was someone else's. And that sorcerer would flip his lid when he found someone fiddling with his spell when even he couldn't do much without time and planning and power.

Yep, meddling was fun when it annoyed people.

He stopped in front of the house. It was a little on the large side, this sorcerer liked showing off, though, as he clearly demonstrated with his spell. Two non-sleepers inside, neither of them the sorcerer. Perfect.

With a casual wave of his hand, the hazel-eyed man made the pair inside the house fall victim to the spell as well. As he turned away, he noticed that there was another in the house who was sleeping, but not because of the spell. There's Mr.Perpetrator now. And since he's already sleeping... with a turn of the hand, the nightmares begin...

oOo

From the darkness, dim light shone through. Below was pavement, and above was only sky, but night sky. There was an ethereal light that lingered on the horizon. He looked down on the scene from what seemed like a great height…

Sudden images flashed by quickly and intensely; conflict and fighting, determination, despair, hopelessness-

Pain!

Eriol sat bolt upright in his bed, trembling. He breathed a sigh of relief that the dream was over, and tried to still his shaking hands. He'd like to say that it was only a dream, but his dreams had a tendency to become reality at some time in the future... This dream didn't seem like those he saw happening to other people.

It was himself he saw.

He stood beside his bed, rearranging his night-robe, and, taking his glasses from the nightstand, wandered out to the balcony that came off his room. He stared out at the quiet scene, and the starless black sky. It was so silent. There was no one stirring outside, no one in the whole world. One single thought had been troubling him; one that came from nowhere, really, probably just his annoying former self, the Eriol that wasn't swayed by Clow's experiences.

The thought was that, in punishing Sakura, he had condemned himself to the eternal dark and silence as well. This thought disturbed him greatly, and when it cried out to him loudly, almost made him want to reconsider the whole thing. This 'former self' had a tendency of overwhelming him at times, usually when it would be most inconvenient. Fortunately, now was not a pivotal moment in time, but he still struggled to keep his composure. It was difficult… part of him despaired so deeply…

This is a prison…

He could still sense that one person from before who was somehow awake and wondering around. It may have just been the spell interfering, but this person somehow had the same feel as the spell itself...

But it was unimportant. This was something he could live with. He had Ruby, he had Spinner.

He tied his robe around him tighter against the chill of the dark, and turned back into the house. Restless, now, he left his bedroom to seek the council of his guardians.

'Ruby?' He questioned outside her door, and knocked. After receiving no reply, he pushed open the door and peeked inside.

Ruby Moon was fast asleep in the chair by her desk, and Spinner was not far from her, also sleeping. His heart clenched at this sight, and his worries suddenly escalated.

For Ruby and Spinner were guardians, and they never slept.

'Ruby! Ruby! Spinner!' He started quickly across the room towards them, but he knew for certain that they had fallen victim to his spell as well. This struck him hard, and he fell to his knees, his head falling into his hands as he let out a single sob. He thought quickly of what could be done, but there was nothing- aside from lifting the entire spell, which he wasn't entirely certain he was willing to do. He knew, because he had tried to lift it from the woman and her children, but it held fast. Even though his only other companionship was gone, and he was alone….. he couldn't abandon his mission. He was obliged to see it through... and on top of all that, lifting the spell would take more effort than he was willing to admit.

He was totally alone, and he had condemned himself. The part of him that was untouched by Clow laughed at him for his folly, while at the same time cried out in loneliness. That part came to surface, his Clow-corrupted side falling away having nothing. He laughed bitterly through tears that had started to trickle down his face, and rose to his feet. Those creatures meant next to nothing to him; they were the creations of Clow's lingering spirit, but they were his only company.

Aside from Sakura.

Perhaps if he went to her, he could convince her that they should keep each other company, but his Clow-corrupted side may have prevented any chance of that. At any rate, it was worth a try. Leaving the house behind, and still wearing his night-things, his glasses still sitting on the nightstand beside his bed, he searched for her.

oOo

Touya was still at the shrine with Tomoyo and Syaoran, her father had been at work, so fortunately she was completely alone in her house, and didn't have to face them sleeping dreadfully in her familiar home, the only place she used to feel secure. She shuffled through the Cards, paying particular attention to the ones not bearing her colours. She felt so betrayed... but she knew that no amount of anger would do anything to help. Even sadness... crying couldn't do anything except maybe make her feel even worse.

She needed to keep a level head about her. She realized that this was just another test, though maybe it wasn't designed as such. It wasn't a test of her power or magic, but of her compassion and courage. Pleading with Eriol didn't work, but at that time she was feeling panicked. This time, if she took a rational approach maybe they could figure something out. Surely Eriol couldn't want to be alone in the world. Surely somewhere... somewhere inside him, even if he didn't show it or admit it to himself, somewhere he had to be just as alone as she was. If she could convince him that this wasn't about her, it wasn't even about him, it was about the whole world... Eriol couldn't be a murderer, and if they left the resolution too much longer he'd become a mass murderer...

There was a knock at the door.

Surprisingly, though maybe just because of habit, it didn't startle her. It's, after all, perfectly normal for someone to come knocking, though in the back of her mind she knew it could only be one of three people, and one of them was far more likely to come than the other two. She collected herself, she was ready.

She opened the door...

...to see a man with short ginger hair and a green sweatshirt standing there admiring the garden with his hands in his pockets.

'Um... c-can I help you?' This was impossible, at least, according to Eriol. There shouldn't be anyone else awake, unless this was somehow Eriol in disguise... but she couldn't feel anything remotely like Clow Reed's magic from this person, except that he had faint magic which reminded her vaguely of the spell everyone was under...

'Just decided to stop by for a visit while I'm in town on business. You see, all the hotel managers and such are sleeping, so...'

'You're... here on business?' She was becoming more and more alarmed by this person every moment that passed. How could he be awake, and what business could he possibly have here with everyone asleep? Unless... somehow he was immune to Eriol's spell. If he had strong magic, like Sakura herself, he'd be less likely to fall asleep. 'What kind of business?'

The man strolled right on past her and started examining the photos and awards on the mantle. 'Sleepin' business, by the looks of things.' He found all this amusing...? He didn't seem at all troubled that no matter where he looked there were people laying asleep where they had been awake just before the spell. 'Seriously, though, this is marginally irksome, and I need a place to stay where someone will cook for me.'

Sakura sat on the couch in a daze. All this... and this stranger wants my hospitality...

'All these people sleeping just makes my job harder. That just won't do.'

Sakura's heart leaped. 'So you're here to help fix this?'

'Sure am. I don't see why no one else found a problem with it, though.'

No one else...? 'Are there other people awake?'

'Sort of... they're not here though.'

'Who are you...?'

'Just Re'en.'

'And what's this job of yours...?'

'Dreams.'

Was this still somehow a strange trick that Eriol was putting on? Or could this Re'en be for real? 'How... how are you going to help make things better?'

'Well, I'm technically not even allowed to be here, so I can only do tiny things. I put that sorcerer kid's guardians to sleep, because that might persuade him to lift the stupid spell. Or maybe he's more likely to listen to you now.' He looked through the bookshelf then, and occasionally pulled out a book, which he'd 'feh' at, and put back. 'It's incredibly annoying when you go to do your job and find it's now twice as big.'

'Yeah... I know what you mean...' Sakura murmured.

'Nah, I really don't think you do. I mean, I've already got how many people to make up dreams for? And now I have to do it all at once and all the time instead of half at one time, half at another. This sucks and blows. The sorcerer twit's definitely going to get what's coming to him.'

Sakura gave up trying to make sense of what he was talking about, but knew that it was best to appeal to angry people you didn't know. 'And what's coming to him?'

Re'en narrowed his eyes at what must have been a suspicious book and cracked his knuckles. 'Fun dream time. And whatever the Council guys want to do to him. But a week of nightmares certainly won't be enough... oh, no. At least three months. Yeah. You have no idea what I'm talking about, do you?'

Sakura shook her head mutely.

'Alright...' Re'en sat on the sofa next to her, taking his time to make himself comfortable. 'You know my name's Re'en, but my official title is 'Master of Dreams'. I don't suppose you know anything about Masters like me, either, huh?'

Again, all she could do was shake her head.

'Kids these days... Anyhow, I'm in charge of the almighty Realm of Dreams, and I'm supposed to make sure everyone gets their nightly hallucinations. Sometimes daydreams too, if the person's serious about them. I'm not from around here, in case you haven't guessed yet.' He fiddled with one particular spike that seemed to be coming out of place. 'There's other people in charge of other Realms. Passion, Realities, and all that. There's lots of Realms. Anywho, all us Masters sit on our happy Nexus above all you mortals. Sometimes particular annoying mortals make me mad enough to teach them a lesson though, so here I am.'

'Mortal...? So you're a demon or something...?'

Re'en burst out laughing, and even though he saw that she was quite serious it took him several long moments to calm down enough to speak. 'Ah, demon indeed. More like an angel, I guess. We help the Big Boss Creator while he does whatever. Not angel in the nice sense, because some people in the Nexus are just jerks. Angel in the sense that Mr. Sorcerer-Who-Likes-To-Ruin-My-Life is no match for any one of us; we're kind of... higher beings, I guess you could say.'

If it was all true, Sakura felt like she needed to bow, or something. Him being awake and all was enough proof that he was at least as powerful as Eriol, and as he said, these Masters were certainly powerful. Instead of bowing, or groveling, however, she asked, 'So... what would you like to eat...?'


End file.
